Roadblocks

Unfortunately we can’t all afford college. I remember the day when I found out that I could not afford to go to my first choice school despite the fact that I did everything in my power to get accepted. Im not the only one who cannot afford going away to college. Many hard working students are left to settle with secondary schools, but I believe it all happens for a reason. I had dreams of graduating from a top private university (Chapman), but I am glad where I am at now. Continue reading →

One thing that many people don’t understand is the psychological challenges that a first generation college students go through. Being in my second year of college at San Jose State University, I am still transitioning from my time lived with my parents to being independent. One common trend for many first generation college students and in my case coming from a ethnic minority group is the guilt. For years my family has had some sort system about the adult transition. My parents immigrated from Mexico in the early 1980s where they were in their young 20s they had a different approach to life opposed to mine. Continue reading →

There is something to be said to the new obstacles one endures while being the first in their families to attend a university. One new obstacle I had to overcome, like many on their first year was moving away from home. Having to move away from home into a new environment was a new experience that could have gone many different ways. When I moved away from my home where I had lived for 14 years there was a lot of things that I had to learn about myself. Not having anyone in my immediate family to turn to for advice was something I really needed and lacked my first few months in college. Continue reading →

Much throughout my short time here in college, I feel as if there are a lot of misconceptions about first generation college students. One of the biggest one that I have encountered the most has been the misconception that first generation college students are immigrants or come from another part of the world. That is not the case, first generation just means, we are the first in our family to go to college. Continue reading →

I can remember sitting down at my graduation ceremony practice, just me and all the empty seats in the stadium. All I can think about was what is about to happen next. The following day I would walk across the stage to receive my diploma and say goodbye to most of the people I knew walking the stage with me. And like that High School was over, four short years had gone like the wind. Continue reading →